In case you haven’t noticed … competition season is here! You’ll want your mind and your body ready to go and ready to endure long hours of hard work. Blisters, bunions, and ingrown toenails are the enemy and it’s vital to have a strong defence against these formidable warriors. Here are seven tips to keep your toes in tip-top shape.

It’s mid-January and unless you’re fortunate enough to reside in a warm, tropical climate, then you’re like me and endure an icy tundra of subzero temperatures and never ending precipitation every winter. This unfortunately does not make for a happy body going into dance class. You’re cold, shivering, and your muscles have tightened up.

Today I spent my afternoon at a graduation party for one of my closest friends.
Right inside the doors to the hall, the dance scrapbooks were displayed, containing years of recital photos and memories that were good, bad, and everything in between.

If you follow me on Facebook (and you definitely should if you don't!) then you know I share a fair amount of videos featuring Adiarys Almeida. I can say without reservation that she is one of my favorite dancers if not my absolute favorite. With a superhuman ability to crank out a few extra rotations or hold that balance moments longer, she is a star in every way.

Particularly in my advanced jazz and tap classes, I like to have a pre-choreographed, routine warm-up that I teach at the beginning of the school year and we use to get class going for the rest of the season.

Some mornings right before I open my eyes, when the sun is just peeking through my almost transparent curtains, I dream. I dream vivid dreams of people and places, of songs and words, of colours and smells that I have seen or smelled once upon a time ...

Often times teacher are faced with the obstacle to interact with people who are simultaneously passionate to dance, but also shy when they need to interact with a large group. There are certain dynamics in the dance room that beginners are unaware of, so introduce them to this world and you will see them shine faster than you anticipated. This post is split in two parts – psychological and practical.

Sunday is probably my favorite day. You finally get a break after the grind of the week that seems to go on endlessly at times. It's important to utilize this day off and let your body rest, especially in the thick of summer intensives. Allowing your body this time off can enhance your performance and you'll feel better all around.